ECN 211x - Macroeconomic Principles I. COURSE OVERVIEW This is a 3-credit hour course on Macroeconomic Principles. This course builds your understanding of the macroeconomy from the ground up. We look at how the decisions that households and businesses make add up to the macroeconomic outcomes and how they are measured in terms of indicators like GDP, inflation, and the unemployment rate. We consider how the market mechanism affects these economic outcomes and how the government can use both fiscal and monetary policy to intervene in the market and affect macroeconomic performance. Finally, we look at how economies around the world are increasingly intertwined and how such globalization affects the macroeconomy. We study these topics with an eye on three main questions: (1) Why are some countries so much richer than others?, (2) Why is the current generation so much better off than their grandparents and great-grandparents, and (3) Why does economic activity fluctuate a lot over time? While performing well in this course does not guarantee you will eventually chair the Federal Reserve or have a seat on the Council of Economic Advisers, a good understanding of the topics in this class will allow you to become better informed about the direct implications of macroeconomic policies.
This course satisfies the Macroeconomic Principles (ECN211) requirement at Arizona State University (ASU). This course may satisfy an introductory macroeconomics course requirement at other institutions; however, you are strongly encouraged to consult with your institution of choice to determine how these credits will be applied to degree requirements prior to transferring credit. Learning Objectives and Topics By the end of this course, students should be able to: Apply marginal analysis to common economic decision problems Describe economic decisions households and businesses make Understand economic efficiency and sources of deviations from it Interpret main macroeconomic indicators commonly analyzed to follow economy in real time Understand the main policy discussions related to fiscal and monetary policy Describe the advantages of trade Topics include: Main macroeconomic indicators and stylized facts Consumer and production theory Market equilibrium and general equilibrium Economic efficiency and deviations from efficiency Labor markets and unemployment Public finance and fiscal policy Money, banking, and monetary policy Globalization, trade, and exchange rates W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU Learning Goals The Undergraduate Program of the W.P. Carey School of Business has established the following learning goals for its graduates which it also aims for in its Global Freshman Academy courses. (items in bold have significant coverage in this course):
1. Critical Thinking. 2. Communication. 3. Discipline Specific Knowledge. 4. Ethical Awareness and Reasoning. 5. Global Awareness. II. WEEKLY ACTIVITIES AND TIME COMMITMENT Class preparation means completing the assigned readings and reviewing all information required for that week. Attendance in an online course means logging into edx on a regular basis and participating in all of the activities that are posted. This 7.5 week, three credit course requires 135 hours of student work. Therefore, expect to spend approximately 12-18 hours per week preparing for and actively participating in this course. The second week of this course is the most time consuming. Class preparation means reviewing all material and completing all assessments required in a given week. Course Content and Assignments Course structure This 7.5 week course has 7 weeks (W) of course material. Each week contains two parts (P). Every part is split up in different sections (S) and each section is made up of units (U) that each focus on a narrow topic. Course content is coded as follows: W-P-S-U. Units at the beginning of each section have an introductory video. Subsequent units contain interactive learning objects followed by practice problems, surveys, and topic-specific videos. The final section of each part is a review section. Interactive Learning Objects The core material for this course is offered in a set of interactive learning objects that allow you to do three things:
Experiment with and learn about the main intuition behind economic decisions and concepts covered Analyze the main macroeconomic indicators for the U.S. and compare them with other countries Learn, both verbally and visually, about the main theoretical frameworks applied in macroeconomics Videos Short lectures from your instructional team on specific topics, designed to introduce you to key concepts Guest lectures and interviews by and with experts in the field Graded Assignments Graded assignments are required, and count toward the final grade for ID Verified students planning to earn either credit or a verified certificate. Students must submit all assignments via the edx platform unless otherwise instructed. Each assessment has submission instructions. Practice problems - 10%: Many units have practice problems at the end of them. Because these are meant to practice the material and concepts in the units, students are allowed an infinite number of tries to answer them. Note that the practice problems about the prerequisites, Part 0-2, do not count towards your grade. Quizzes - 30%: There are 13 quizzes, one for each part (two a week), except for part 7-1. Each quiz is open book, but must be completed by you (see the Academic Integrity section). The quizzes are multiple choice and based on the course material covered in each part. The quizzes are 30% of your total grade. You may take a quiz at any time during the week but must complete it by the stipulated deadline. Note that the quiz at the end of the prerequisites, Part 0-2, does not count towards your grade.
Midterm Exam - 30%: The midterm is 30% of your total grade and covers content from weeks 1 through 3. It is a proctored exam. (Proctoring is required for ID Verified students interested in pursuing credit. More information follows below, as well as in both the Before the Course Begins and in the Midterm Overview sections of the course.) Final Exam - 30%: The final exam is 30% of your total grade and covers content from weeks 4 through 7. Like the midterm, it is a proctored exam. (Again, proctoring is required for ID Verified students interested in pursuing credit. More information follows below, as well as in both the Before the Course Begins and in the Final Exam Overview sections of the course.) Ungraded Assignments These assignments are optional but strongly encouraged in order to maximize your learning, as well as interaction with your peers and course team. Inline questions: The interactive learning objects are filled with inline questions and fill-in exercises to keep you actively involved in the course material while going through it. Completing these questions and exercises will significantly improve your understanding of the course material and make you more prepared for the quizzes, midterm, and final. Surveys: The surveys in the course allow you to reflect on how the topics discuss affect your daily life and to make up your mind about some of the most pressing economic issues and questions we are struggling with. Introductions: Please visit the Introduce Yourself subsection located in Before the Course Begins, to tell the course team and class a little bit about yourself, your community, and what health means to you in the course s Introduce Yourself discussion forum.
III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND COMMUNICATION Course Requirements Recommended Prior Knowledge: To be successful in this course, we recommend English language fluency and basic math skills. Part 0-2 is designed for you to check your familiarity with the prerequisites for the course. Online Course Requirements: You will find all content and learning activities within the edx platform. All course interactions use Internet technologies. It is your responsibility to watch all required videos, study the interactive learning objects, and complete all graded assessments (quizzes, exams, interactives, and case studies). You are encouraged to interact with your peers and course team in the discussion forums, and ask questions there as well. Course Communication All communication will take place in discussion boards, course updates, and on the course home page. Each week, there will be a dedicated discussion board called General Questions Discussion Forum, where you can post general questions and comments about the subject matter, as well as any direct inquiries for the instructor and course team. Please use this forum to ensure timely response. IV. STUDENT EVALUATION Here is the breakdown of how your performance is calculated in terms of your final grade:
Item (# of assignments) Weight Proctored Graded Practice problems 10% No Yes Quizzes (13) 30% No Yes Midterm Exam (Weeks 1-3) Final Exam (Weeks 4-7) 30% Yes (ID Verified) No (Audit Track) 30% Yes (ID Verified) No (Audit Track) Yes Yes Final grades are based on the number of points you earn on the course activities listed above. There is no extra credit available. You can see your percentage of the total points to date on your edx progress page. Final scores will be absolute as follows: 90% or better will receive an A, 80% or better a B, 70% or better a C, below 70% is a failing grade. There will be no + or - added to grades. You must pass the course with a grade of C (70%) or higher, and be on the ID verified track, in order to be either eligible for credit from Arizona State University or an edx verified certificate. Please note that exams that fail the proctoring review will result in an assignment grade of 0. Note: You have up to one year to purchase credit after you become eligible. Please see Section IX, below, Taking this Course for ASU Credit or edx Verified Certificate, for specifics on fees and deadlines. V. GFA POLICIES Assignment Deadlines: This is an online course. Your instructional team will provide all content and learning activities on our edx platform. All course interactions will use Internet technologies; it is your responsibility to review all content, fulfill all assignments on time, and ask any questions you have in our
designated discussion area. For more information, please see section VI, UTC Time Zone below. Late assignments will not be accepted at any point during the course. We recommend that you establish your time management schedule for this course during the first two days that the course is open to meet all course obligations. For time management tips, sign up for the GFA Orientation course and review the Time Management section. Please also review our Tips for Student Success video in the Before the Course Begins section. Subject to Change Notice: This syllabus is to be used as a guide only. Information contained here, such as assignments, grading scales, deadlines, and other materials are subject to change. It is your responsibility to read the course announcements regularly to be aware of any changes or updates in the course. Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is expected of all students in all coursework and exams. The possible sanctions include, but are not limited to, appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic dishonesty (indicated on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of registration privileges, disqualification, and dismissal. For more information, review ASU s Academic Integrity Policy and edx s Terms of Service. Prohibition of Commercial Note Taking Services: In accordance with ACD 304-06 Commercial Note Taking Services, written permission must be secured from the official instructor of the class in order to sell the instructor's oral communication in the form of notes. Notes must have the notetaker's name as well as the instructor's name, the course number, and the date.
VI. UTC TIME ZONE To accommodate students from across the globe, all deadlines are posted in UTC time, the global standard. Please see the Course Information and Support or Important Deadlines subsections in Before the Course Begins for a detailed explanation. Remember, it is your responsibility to understand UTC and determine the due dates and times for your time zone. Make sure you address this, ideally before the first set of assignments is due, and definitely before the midterm, to avoid any unnecessary stress. Deadline extensions will NOT be granted for misunderstanding UTC time. VII. GENERAL AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS This course is best accessed by a reasonably modern browser on a laptop or desktop computer. Course videos can be accessed using the edx app for iphone and Android. For more information about mobile, review edx on the Go. Students who are interested in taking the course for credit will need additional computer requirements and skills to access the remote proctor service. Please see the Software Secure site, which details Proctor Now s requirements. If you are not certain about your system, it is highly recommended that you complete the practice proctored exam to confirm system compatibility. VIII. GENERAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Student Support and General Technical Issues: Please access the edx Help Center for solutions to common problems. Please also be sure to review our Before the
Course Begins section for further information. If you are still experiencing issues, you can reach out to gfa@edx.org. Accessibility: If you are a student with a disability, and you would like to request an accommodation, please send an email to accessibility@edx.org. Proctoring: For students taking the midterm and final exams proctored, please do the following to address any technical issues: 1. Contact our proctoring partner, Software Secure, at 1-855-436-2039. 2. Send an email to edx at gfa@edx.org. Both Software Secure and edx must be informed of the issue to ensure resolution. Please put Problem with proctored exam in the subject line. Also, provide as much information as possible, including screenshots, error messages, and urgency due to upcoming deadlines. IX. TAKING THIS COURSE FOR ASU CREDIT OR edx VERIFIED CERTIFICATE ASU Credit: Students wishing to take this course for ASU credit are required to do the following: ID verify by TBD, 07:00 UTC Opt in to proctoring for both the midterm and final exams Pass the course with a C or better (70% or higher) Verified Certificate: Students wishing to take this course for a verified certificate are required to do the following: ID Verify by TBD, 07:00 UTC Pass the course with a C or better (70% or higher)
Cost: The course is 3 credits. ID verification: $49 USD/course Credit: $600 USD/course. Please note that exams that fail the proctoring review will result in an assignment grade of 0. Important: Provided you have met all requirements for this course, you can purchase credit ($600 USD) from ASU for up to one year after you become credit eligible. Your date of eligibility may differ from the course end date or the date certificates are issued. Please visit your course progress page, specifically the Requirements for Course Credit section, to see the status of your credit eligibility. Please review Important Information on Credit Eligibility and Proctoring in your Before the Course Begins section for additional details. Note: Potential limitations of internet connectivity by some countries are beyond the control of Arizona State University and may limit the ability of an ID Verified student residing in those countries to complete all the assessments, and therefore potentially impede the eligibility to earn college credit. Students impacted by such limitations should contact gfa@edx.org.